


The Magician and the Minder

by murdur



Category: Thor (Movies)
Genre: Bodyguard, F/M, Sifki Week, Sifki Week 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-19
Updated: 2020-08-19
Packaged: 2021-03-06 02:07:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,049
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25995730
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/murdur/pseuds/murdur
Summary: Loki doesnotneed a bodyguard.
Relationships: Loki/Sif (Marvel)
Comments: 14
Kudos: 71





	The Magician and the Minder

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [Sifki Week 2020's](https://sifkiweek2020.tumblr.com/) Day Four prompt of **challenge**.

Loki had never liked the idea of having a bodyguard on his trips to visit the dignitaries of the other Realms. As far as he was concerned, it was offensive. He did not appreciate the implication that he was unable to defend himself. He had little patience for it, which is why the second prince was on his 8th escort in as many trips. None could endure the tricks and torment he subjected them to. All of his father’s appointments had been, frankly, pathetic, and he worried that perhaps the Einherjar’s standards were slipping. 

He knew his father had grown weary of Loki’s antics, but he also secretly hoped that it would push his father to do away with the spectacle altogether. 

Instead, Odin had apparently felt the need to escalate the situation. Which was why the person currently in charge of his well-being was no common soldier.

Loki frowned as the Lady Sif followed him into his room at the Vanir palace. Sif, the young shieldmaiden who had been slowly but surely rising her way to elite warrior status. She had been catching attention, Loki’s included, by thoroughly beating the sense out of any and every challenger in the training rings. It just so happened that his brother was on the list of those put into the dirt by the Lady Sif, which earned her extra acclaim in Loki’s book. But as beautiful and as fascinating as she was, he was still not pleased with the situation.

“I don’t need a nursemaid,” Loki complained as Sif walked the perimeter of the room, apparently looking for any lurking assassins. 

“I know that,” she replied easily, continuing with her task. 

“I’ve been given private combat lessons since I was a child, not to mention extensive sorcery exercises,” Loki threw his arm out, sending a burst of wind to slam the door of a wardrobe Sif was peering into closed. She simply grinned and moved to inspect the balcony. “I am perfectly capable of defending myself.”

“Indeed,” she agreed as she came back to the middle of the room, sheathing her sword on her back, apparently satisfied with the security of his accommodations. “You are extraordinarily talented.”

“Glad you’ve noticed,” Loki eyed her suspiciously. “So, why you?”

Sif shrugged. “I’m not afraid of you.”

Loki thought momentarily of the other guards who had accompanied him in the past, the lengths they went to to avoid Loki’s gaze, trying to avoid his mischief, and inevitably being a victim of his trickery. Sif looked him square in the eyes with an easy confidence. It nearly felt like a challenge. 

“And here I thought you were smart,” Loki sniffed. “If you think impressing my father will win you the attention of Thor, I would hate to stand in your way.”

Thor had already taken notice and had invited Sif to dine with him and his friends, Loki included, on multiple occasions. Loki did not think that Thor held a romantic interest, but Loki had been too preoccupied with attempting to ignore the way Sif’s low voice and easy smile had quickened his own heartbeat to pay much mind to his brother.

Sif rolled her eyes but refuted him. “It was actually your mother who suggested I accompany you.”

That stopped him short. Curious. “Why would she do that?”

“Because I care about Asgard,” Sif looked out the balcony doors towards the darkening skies, “and therefore I care about you.”

“You care for me?” Loki leaned forward, his grin wide with a taunting flirtation. “Why, Sif, I’m touched.”

Sif glared at him and the heat of her attention sparked his blood, quickening his pulse. “I’ve pledged myself to Asgard, and to the protection of the royal family.”

“So loyal,” he practically purred. If stoking her ire won him her lovely fury, he would have needled her sooner. 

“As I said, I’m not afraid to use force if necessary, in the interest of your safety.” Sif crossed her arms with conviction. “And you won’t try to sneak out.”

“Oh?” Loki felt a sinking sense of disappointment. Of course, just like the others, trying to keep him contained. “What obedience have you earned from me?”

“If you go out,” Sif tilted her head to one side, “you’re taking me with you.”

Ah. It was a rare pleasure for Loki to feel surprised. She was proving to be more interesting than he had already suspected. Stepping closer, he recovered quickly. 

“Sorry, darling but the whole point of slipping away from these noble, confining places is to blend in with the locals and frankly,” he paused, taking a long, salacious moment for his eyes to sweep over her, “your armor would draw too much attention. Defeat the whole purpose.”

He’d hoped to make her squirm, or perhaps color those lovely cheeks red. She only tilted her chin.

“I packed a change of clothes. And I’m not any less dangerous without the overt displays of lethality.”

He had a thrilling vision of a sharp knife strapped to a thigh flash to his mind’s eye, and found himself in a situation that was quite rare. Loki was speechless. 

It was Sif who stepped closer this time. “As long as you don’t try to slip my watch, allow me to do my job,” she lifted one shoulder up, “I don’t see why you can’t otherwise do as you please.”

Loki’s stomach fluttered at the glint in her eye. This conversation alone was turning out to be more entertaining than his previous ritual of setting snakes upon some boring Einherjar. Perhaps it would not be so awful to request Sif remain on as his personal bodyguard in the future.

“My father will be ecstatic with me when you report that I did not, in fact, torment you.” Loki straightened, one finger tapping his cheek in contemplation. “And he’ll be additionally impressed with you for not returning to Asgard transformed into a goat.”

Sif nodded. “A mutual goal, a shared victory.”

“Hmm,” Loki mused. “I like this. Dear Sif, we have ourselves an arrangement.”

She held out her hand and he took it, ignoring the electric spark that ran through him at the contact. 

“Now, let’s see to getting you out of your armor. There’s a tavern nearby with a mead you must try.”


End file.
